Checkmate
by CyberForte
Summary: Would any other have gambled the future of humanity so many times on three nigh insane children? Possibly, but they would not only have lost, they would have been fools. But Gendo Ikari was not a fool. He was driven. [Oneshot]


"Checkmate"

(A Neon Genesis Evangelion FanFiction by CyberForte)

-Disclaimer-

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all associated characters, concepts et cetera are property of Gainax. This is merely a work of FanFiction for which the author shall receive no legal tinder for the creation of, and thus is not intended to violate that copyright. All original situations, characters, and concepts are copyright to CyberForte, but may be used freely by others so long as credit is given to their creator.

"Checkmate"

_Clink._

A knight, his ever-faithful steed in attendance, moved swiftly, jumping his way around two of his compatriots and bearing down upon a foot soldier, who was quickly slain and fell, the knight taking his place. Strangely, there was no blood--nor any wound for that matter. Of course, that was not quite so strange when one added into consideration the fact that both victor and victim were carved quite carefully of glass. In the case of the knight, the material could be specified as obsidian, or volcanic glass; his fallen foe had been the translucent hue that came from just the slightest of frosting 'pon clear.

"Your move, Fuyutsuki," came the commentary upon this action, made by the knight's Commander, and indeed the Commander of NERV as well. His voice held no real overt force, but there was a quiet power to it nonetheless. A man used to being heard, listened to, and obeyed. He _was_ the Supreme Commander, after all, though he was oft referred to as, in situations where people assumed that they were unheard, the "Bastard King," or "Supreme Bastard of NERV." He didn't mind particularly; being hated served his purposes well enough. Had not Machiavelli said, "Let them hate me so long as they fear me?"

When people were afraid, they got things done. It was simple logic, and Gendo Ikari was a man fond of getting things done. As such, he used fear as he would any other tool in the process of getting something done. He picked it up and wielded it in a practical manner, then put it to rest when it was no longer needed. It would be foolish to overuse it. Like any good tool, fear became less effective if used constantly, but would also rust away if not cared for properly. It was simple logic. Nevertheless, it was this logic and its kind that made him a bastard in the eyes of many, especially his son.

It was a shame, that last bit. If he hadn't required such drastic steps to be motivated or acted so foolishly, Gendo might have enjoyed the company of the younger Ikari. It would have made Yui happy. However, as fate would have it, they would never truly get along, and so Shinji had simply become another factor in the inexorable process of achieving his scenario. It would all be worthwhile in the end. And was ultimately irrelevant anyway.

_Clink._

Now one of the frosted pieces had moved, a rook. It didn't seem to be a particularly logical move, at least to Gendo, but then he knew his own strategy. What would be a logical move to him wouldn't necessarily seem the same to his opponent. So, he presumed from the fact that the move had not been intended to block him that the elderly Sub-Commander had not yet grasped his intent. As such, he considered his own next move. Two paths were open; via one, he could make a defensive play and risk none of his pieces this turn. On the other hand, the plan he had in mind was, although more risky, a gambit that could bring him a checkmate within a few turns. He was committed to the latter, and as such, it did not take him long at all to decide which course to take. He had the victory within reach; there could be no relenting now.

_Clink._

A pawn of the obsidian side was moved forward, despite the fact that the space it moved to made it an obvious target. Sometimes, Gendo reflected, you must be willing to sacrifice a pawn to achieve the victory. That was the purpose of a pawn. Like fear, a pawn was a tool to be used in the achievement of an objective. If that required that it be lost in the process, it was acceptable. This, he noted wryly, was why he was Commander and his son was the pawn. If Shinji were to play chess against him, Gendo was quite certain that the boy would lose, if simply on the premise of being unwilling to sacrifice a piece. He was too sentimental, which had proved to be a problem in the past.

It was quite idiotic, really. Did the boy think that he _liked_ making decisions that required the sacrifices of others? No, he didn't like it in the least bit, but he was all too aware that very few things in life are likable, but many of them are _necessary_. Would it have been justified to let the human race die off just so one child wasn't damaged? No, there was no logic in that at all. It was called prioritizing. Priorities were something that his son had much to learn about.

_Clink._

And now the obsidian pawn was taken by a frosted bishop. It had been the move that Gendo had expected. He almost smiled; he might have let himself, but that would be suspicious. Fuyutsuki probably suspected that he had a plan, but it was better to keep the former professor uncertain. Uncertainty was another useful tool in dealing with people, especially in competitive situations. Even if they _knew_ something, the right word or action could make them weaken. And then they would be uncertain. Those who were uncertain would hesitate. Second-guess themselves. Make mistakes.

Gendo Ikari knew that, at heart, he could be a very uncertain man. But, he had decided that he would not be. He _could_ not be. Uncertainty had a certain way of betraying you; weakening you at the wrong moment. As such, he had cast aside his uncertainly, taking a good deal of his caution with it, he knew. As a result, he was capable of doing things others were not. Would any other have gambled the future of humanity so many times on three nigh-insane children? Possibly, but they would not only have lost, they would have been fools. But Gendo Ikari was not a fool. He was driven.

A fool takes a chance, but Gendo Ikari didn't take chances. Not in his own mind, at least. Rather, to him, the results were never in any doubt. He _knew_ that Unit-01 would berserk when Shinji was incapacitated. He _knew_ that Shinji would pilot in Rei's place. It wasn't luck or fate, it simply _was_. Similarly, he _knew_ that this gambit would work, and that he would achieve checkmate.

_Clink._

Now the knight moved again; with the bishop out of its path from the last move, it was free to move closer to his goal. One more move and everything would fall into place. Fuyutsuki was playing right into it. Victory would be his; it generally was. Victory was not something you hoped for. Hope was all well and good in a story, but if you wanted to achieve victory, you had to make it so. A gambler would call it hedging his bets. Gendo Ikari simply called it making the victory happen. He had not made a bet that Unit-01 would tear apart Sachiel. He had made it so to the extent of his ability, and it had worked.

Information was generally the key to making victory happen. One had to know one's own capabilities, the capabilities of one's adversary, and the relevant data about any and all other factors that would have an impact upon the outcome. Once one had this information, one could analyze it and discover how to properly proceed for maximum benefit. Another important factor, however, was never to put your faith in something. Whenever possible, you should be equipped with an alternative. Reality was unforgiving to those of faith.

Rei was an ideal example of this. Although her explicit faith in him was a useful tool, on some level, it bothered him. Had he truly raised the girl to be so naive? He couldn't help but think that she _shouldn't_ trust him. She _shouldn't_ obey his orders or his whims. And yet she did. And he had raised her to do this because it would make her an effective tool. The part of his mind that was still a father couldn't help but be ashamed and disappointed at the way she had turned out. But, for the most part, he overrode that, because letting himself indulge in those ideas would foster uncertainty, and that could be quite fatal.

_Clink._

"I'm afraid that's checkmate, Ikari," announced Fuyutsuki, looking mildly surprised that he'd won. He'd moved his queen right up against Ikari's king, and left her guarded from the king himself by the rook and the bishop. It was indeed checkmate for the Supreme Commander. And just as he had victory within his grasp. What had he done wrong?

Nodding externally, he answered himself with only the most obvious of things; he'd focused too narrowly. Because Fuyutsuki hadn't blocked his gambit, he had assumed that the older man was unaware of it and so had not properly considered the positions of the other pieces on the board in relation to his own situation. An important lesson...

_And, for a moment, the world stopped. No longer was he within the darkened office, but now rather in Terminal Dogma. And, as he stood before Lilith, prepared to achieve victory, Rei at his side... a single bullet tore through the air, ending his life and aspirations only moments before their realization. _

As quickly as it came, the vision passed, leaving the man in a slightly contemplative mood, "...Fuyutsuki, would you say I am a fool doing all of this?"

_Clink._

Blinking slightly as he reorganized the chess board, the Sub-Commander shrugged carefully, "If you are, Ikari, then I must be a worse one for following you."

"Indeed," came the noncommittal response. A lesson well taken, to be sure, but he would not allow it to cloud his mind with uncertainty; he'd simply be more careful. After all, this had only been a chess game. It was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The scenario _would_ be carried out. He _would_ see Yui again...

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-Author's Notes-

This wasn't where I originally intended to go with this scene, as you might be able to tell, but with the way it was shaping up, I decided to use it as a one-shot look into Gendo's mind. I can use an altered version or make a new first scene for the original idea, if I ever decide to go through with it. Just out of curiosity, if I could do it without screwing over anyone, who here would read a Gendo/Ritsuko fic? I'm not sure if I support it or not, but I'm surprised that I've not seen _any_ and am considering one. The original premise of this one was to involve that, actually.

Anyway, how did I do? I know the length could have been better, but this was as much as I could come up with for just this scene, without the extended stuff I had originally planned. I seem to have a strange talent for looking into the minds of characters who could be considered somewhat insane. I wonder why ever that could be...? -shot- That aside, reviews are appreciated.

Slight Addition (9/16/07): Since someone understandably had a small quibble with the way Gendo lost, I figured I'd add a slight word of explanation. Although my patience wasn't sufficiently developed for me to recreate the exact scenario as I first sought to, my explanation is thus:  
Firstly, this is only the end of a much longer game, and so the moves and such are expected to be going towards an endgame. A number of pieces have been lost from either side, and it's hard to say how long Gendo was planning what he did. Secondly, as I well know from personal experience, it's really easy to fall for a gambit like that when you expect the game to go on a lot longer, especially when it involves a Queen being brought into a King's range; you'd expect to be able to take it. Combining that inclination with Gendo's intent to finish the game on the next move, he managed to overlook the fact that the Bishop and Rook had been positioned to guard the attacking Queen. Also, it was designed to be somewhat symbolic of the way he lost in EoE. So hopefully that makes it a bit more believable.


End file.
